Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Spaz started bleeding from a spot ABOVE the sutures. It was like she just popped a new hole so the blood could get out. No matter what we did we couldn't get the bleeding to stay stopped (a steady trickle stream of blood and/or bloody and clear fluids). So Wednesday morning she went back to a vet, and is still there. She is stable as of yesterday and today. I will call again and check on her tomorrow morning. I don't know if they will keep her until her sutures come out, which is scheduled for next Wednesday morning, or if I will get to bring her home before then.
I would post pictures but my pictures are not online, and that is the only option I have. The insert/edit images is looking for an online source code for posting. When I searched to find out how to do pictures I saw mentioned that there was supposed to be another icon I could click on, and basically if it wasn't there I don't have permission to post pictures.
Well that's just rotten! How far above the sutures? Yeah, sometimes drains have to be put in or a lot of bandage changing and repackaging has ro be done. Is that why they are keeping Spaz for a few days? I know in many cases, even though it I evolves trios back and forth to the Vet, they come home after a day or two, or they don't even spend the night. I think it can be quite messy through.
Poor Spaz! I hope they get this resolved quickly so he can get over all this recovery stuff and get on with living life to the fullest!
Keep us posted! We'll be sending healing energy! Sorry you are dealing with this. It's just one of those hurdles that pops up every now and then but can be handled.
Someone will come along with links on how to post pictures. Can't wait to see phots of this cutie pie!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hope your vet gets this resolved soon and Spaz can come home.
I also do not host photos anywhere on line and couldn't figure out how to add them to a forum (even with the detailed instructions someone will post). I have a teenager, however, who transfers photos from her phone to her computer and then loads them to a blog. We started our blog for just that purpose!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Poor pup! Oh my gosh I hope she's on the mend soon, that must have been so scary for you all.
Here is a post about adding images to the forums. Everyone has permission to post photos, they just need to be hosted somewhere like your own Tripawds blog, Photobucket, Flick'r, etc. If you'd like help just let me know, I'd be glad to walk you through it.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Spaz is still at the vet, but they do have the bleeding stopped. They want to keep her for the weekend, and since her sutures come out Tuesday or Wednesday (the vet mentioned Tuesday, but my initial appointment for suture removal was for Wednesday) will probably keep her an extra day. But my baby girl is doing good.
Still working on pictures. I started a photobucket account, I put up two pictures, I pasted the img url into the insert/edit image for this reply and I get a broken link for the picture. 
SPAZ IS ADORABLE!!! So many happy photos! This girl knows how to smile!! Love these!!!
I love her markings...especially the markings on the ears!
Hope you can bring her home in between fixing the drainage and doing the stitch removal. Paws crossed!
Thanks for sharing the pictures! Spaz is cutie pie!!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
How cute. I also love her markings including the "kiss me" spot on the top of her head. I hope she's home with you soon.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Ha! Ha! The "kiss me spot"! That's cute Kerren!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
What a sweetie!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Spaz is a beauty!!! I'm so sorry she had a rough start after her amputation - I'm surprised the surgeon didn't send her home on anything. Gabapentin is a wonder drug for my girl. She, too, is 13 and is recovering from knee surgery on one of her remaining legs. I hope everything calms down with Spaz and she gets on the mend soon!
Keep us posted!
Momma to the world's most beautiful American Bulldog, Izzy!! Lost her front leg to OSA 9/18/15. Diagnosed w MCT in June 2016. Celebrated her 1 year ampuversary with knee surgery on 9/18/16! MCT recurrence in Dec 2016. Happy & hungry til nearly 14, earning her wings on 7/31/17.
Thanks everyone...she is my beautiful little girl! I always said that was her "kissing" spot on the head, and she has one brown spot on her rump near the base of the tail and I call that her "spanking" spot where I give her pretend spanks (love pats).
How long did it take other tripawds to be comfortable walking and playing on three legs, handling stairs (our bedroom is upstairs and she has to sleep in the room with us to where I've spent most of the nights she was home on the couch downstairs so she wouldn't attempt to go up because thinking of her going downstairs and what can happen is what nightmares are made of), and attempting car trips with only one person. On the trips to the vet if my husband was working a friend of ours drove to our house so we could go to the vet together and I sat in the back seat with Spaz so she wouldn't move around and fall. She was never one to stay settled in the seat. She'd twist to look out the window, twist again to put her front feet on the console to try to lick me in the face, lay down, repeat process. At least she doesn't try to jump from front seat to back seat and back again anymore. I am paranoid that with only three legs she is going to slip off the seat and get hurt.
I am late here. I saw the topic title and was like, what the heck? So glad you got meds to make her more comfortable. I do know that some vets consider pain meds optional. I once had a cat spayed and the vet gave me the option, yes, the option to buy pain meds. He said it it an extra charge. Of course I got them, but I have always thought they should be a part of the surgical package. Greta job being her voice!! She is adorable! Love the center pic where she is smiling! Hoping she continues on the up and up now! Lori, Ty and gang
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
So good to see these pics. Spaz is gooooorgeous!
There's a huge range in how quickly dogs adapt to life on three legs in terms of running around/playing/using the stairs etc. I think the key is to be guided by them and what they are comfortable with. Unless they're inclined to be too active too soon, in which case it's important to make sure they don't overdo it. Working on core strength helps a lot, both in terms of building strength and resilience, reducing risk of injury, and also tiring them out in a way that isn't high impact.
Meg used the stairs almost immediately but she had been very one sided for a long time pre amp, which obviously helps re adjusting. What's the traction like on your stairs? I had to put pieces of carpet on mine, as they were wood, which is far too slippery. Re the car, have you considered using a car harness? It would hold Spaz in one place and keep her safe if you need to brake suddenly.
All best,
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
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